Want to know how much that wookie you strapped to a firework in a doomed attempt to recreate the destruction of the Death Star is now worth?

With Star Wars: The Force Awakensset to dominate the Christmas box office, here is a look at some rare merchandise from the franchise. Adam Smith, Rachel Tierney and Rob Hyde investigate.

Early Bird Certification Package

Toymakers Kenner only snagged the Star Wars contract at the last minute (for a bargain $25,000 [£16,750], given the $100 million revenue it made the company in 1978 alone) and so did not have anything ready when the movie came out. Its brilliant solution? A $10 empty cardboard box that folded out into a display stand and four coupons for forthcoming figures. Eminently binnable then, it now goes for around $3,500 [£2,300].

Jawa (with vinyl cape)

This dinky model of one of the glowy-eyed scavengers from Tatooine was judged a bit on the small side so Kenner upgraded its original plastic-caped model, giving these admirable space-Wombles a real fabric cape. Since so few of the originals survive, they are the ones fetching around $2,000 (boxed and in mint condition) at memorabilia auctions today.

Jawa (with vinyl cape – Palitoy)

Even rarer than the plastic-caped Jawas are British plastic-caped Jawas. Leicestershire-based toymaker Palitoy only held the licence to manufacture Star Wars figures for a few months before it reverted to US company Kenner. Only two are now known to survive, one of which recently fetched £11,300 on eBay.

Millennium Falcon

The “big present” for a generation in 1979, this gray slab of injection-moulded plastic arrived in about 40 pieces, providing delighted parents with many hours of happy assembling. But by 1984 interest in Star Wars had waned to the extent that Kenner melted down thousands of unsold Falcons. A pity, as a mint, boxed version is currently up for grabs on eBay for a mere £1,150.

Flying success: a Millennium Falcon spaceship

Cardboard Death Star Playset

Before its time in terms of recyclability if nothing else, this paper-based representation of the Empire’s planet-pulverising super-weapon featured an escape chute and “working trash compactor”. Nevertheless, its flimsiness proved a guarantor of later scarcity – and if you want a mint-condition one in its box today, it’ll set you back upwards of £5,000.

Boba Fett (without Deadly Missile Launcher)

Kenner’s original Boba Fett never made it to the shops, having been withdrawn from sale after a choking death caused by a similar Battlestar Galactica toy featuring a spring-loaded gun. A rare example of the non-lethal version of the discontinued plaything sold at auction this year for £18,000, the highest price ever paid for a Star Wars collectable.

Yak Face

Despite even the most committed Star Wars fans being unlikely to identify him in a line-up, Yak Face – who featured for all of three seconds in Return of the Jedi as a member of Jabba the Hutt's court – is worth a lot more than his screen time might suggest. Set to be the 93rd Kenner Star Wars figure, his escape from obscurity was thwarted when Kenner wound down production and withdrew him from the US market. Yak Face was only sold in small numbers in the UK and Canada, and today is valued at £500 to £1,500.

Yoda (with orange snake)

The most valuable figures remain those from the original 1978 “12-back” collection, so called because the back of the packaging featured pictures of the dozen characters first available. But even later entries, such as an “orange snake” Yoda, released for The Empire Strikes Back in 1980, are still collectable. Be currently found on eBay for $300 (£201), one can.

Darth Vader (with double telescoping lightsaber)

Early figures featured a double telescoping lightsaber, but the gimmick quickly proved too easily broken and Kenner soon switched to a single-telescoping model, leaving the originals highly prized. Chief among them is Darth Vader, a “carded/unpunched” example is valued at more than $30,000.

Medical Droid FX-7

Forget Artoo and Threepio – the barely glimpsed FX-7 is the most valuable Star Wars droid. Produced in the UK only by toymaker Palitoy, this 1980 figure was found in newsagents for a couple of quid – but sold last year for £7,000. All this for a figure that had a fleeting role healing Luke in The Empire Strikes Back – proving it’s not screen time alone that makes memorabilia out of merchandise. If you can’t stretch to £7,000, find one in less impressive condition for as little as £500 on eBay.

Go figure: Vlix, a Jawa and Jar-Jar Binks

Blue Snaggletooth

In the early days of Star Wars merchandising, the pressure was on to get figures out and on sale quickly. Inevitably mistakes were made – like the Blue Snaggletooth, part of a 1978 Cantina Adventure Playset released by Sears. With only a black-and-white headshot of the alien to go by, manufacturers Kenner made up the blue suit and human height – realising their mistake later. By 1978, the shorter, barefoot red Snivvian had replaced the blue imposter, and sent its value rocketing; today they fetch a few hundred pounds.

Han Solo with blaster

Another of the original “12-back” figures, everybody’s favourite smuggler was a hard likeness to capture – being a hottie on screen does not always translate to an attractive action figure (see also: monkey face Leia). Initially Han had a head too small for a hero; the later version sized up his noggin a touch too far, leaving the real Han shaking his sadly. The pinhead version is worth more, being rarer – up to £1,000.

Vlix

He is unlikely to be hiding in any British attics, but this little-known villainous character from the cancelled spin-off cartoon Star Wars: Droids is worth at least £2,000. Kenner had already begun producing Vlix before Droids was cancelled but, with interest waning, he was picked up by South American company Glasslite and only ever sold in Brazil. Fewer than 20 are known to survive.

And one that didn’t work out so well...

Jar Jar Binks

Enthusiastic investors began to salivate with glee on George Lucas’s announcement of a second trilogy of Star Wars movies back in 1993. But sadly they have been so far unrewarded. Mint, boxed examples of the most unpopular Star Wars character of all time, Jar Jar Binks, can be had for under $5 on eBay – a couple of bucks less than hopeful fans first paid.